Hi guys. This is my first post here. So I recently started working at a top prop firm in Chicago, on a group that does market making and arb on a variety of products: spot, futures, ETFs. I'm concerned about my exit opportunities since my core interests are in investment management. Will I be able to leverage this experience to work in say macro research, fixed income research, etc., at a hedge fund or mutual fund? Or will I need to go get an MBA from a top school to make this transition?
any type of skill you obtain can help you land other jobs. it is completely up to your ability to sell your experience as a rare skill which would be an asset to whoever is hiring you. Of course, an MBA from a top school will surely help; However, its commonly over-valued as it is only one part of the bigger picture of the candidate. In other words, even an MBA won't help you if you don't have the personality and ability to relate your talents/skills to the requirements of the position. I'll put it to you this way: I graduated from a top b-school with an MBA. From my graduating class, the MBA was a way to move up in the field. It gave you the opportunity to add something extra to your resume on top of the work experience. Of course, there are many who do not find the need for an MBA as they feel their skills work fine. The value of all these business/economics/liberal arts degrees are declining. Social entrepreneurship is a skill that is highly sought-after these days. In other words, it depends on the market conditions and what there is demand for. from the prop firm I am at, I have seen traders move into everything investment banking / asset management to solar panels to wholesale lingerie to IT consulting to consulting at top consulting firms.